FIRST-time mothers who opt for a home birth are almost three times more likely to have a baby who dies or suffers brain damage, a major new report has shown.

Researchers found babies born to first-time mothers were 2.8 times more likely to suffer serious problems if a home birth was chosen compared to those born in hospital obstetric units.

Problems include stillbirth after the start of labour, the baby dying within the first week of birth, brain injury, fractures to the upper arm or shoulder during birth, and faeces in the lung, which can require intense medical attention.

Conditions can vary in severity and their long-term impact but are linked to trauma at birth or the baby becoming distressed or being deprived of oxygen during labour.

There was no increased risk for babies whose birth was planned at units led by midwives, either ones that stand alone in the community or which are attached to a hospital, according to the report.

There was also no increased risk for second or subsequent babies whose mothers planned a home birth – the finding only applied to first-time mothers.

Serious adverse outcomes for the baby are rare – occurring just 3.5 times for every 1,000 babies whose birth was planned in an obstetric unit.

But this latest research, carried out at Oxford University, shows this figure rises to 9.5 per 1,000 babies if the mother chooses a home birth.

These figures relate to women who have had a low-risk pregnancy and who did not have any complications at the start of labour.

The Birthplace in England study compared data for almost 65,000 women at low-risk of complications who planned to give birth in obstetric units, at home or at a midwife-led unit.